Related Content

Several people called Springfield Township officers complaining about a huge brawl and gunshots on Misty Hill.

Springfield Township police said they arrived and saw a 16-year-old holding a gun and when officers ordered the teenager to drop the weapon several times he refused.

According to Chief David Heimpold, at that point the teenager ran away and officers chased him. Heimpold said officers continued to command the boy to drop the gun but the teen kept waving the gun. Officers fired several shots, hitting him in the leg.

The boy’s mother challenges the police version, saying he did not have a weapon and shooting him was not necessary.

"If he aimed, the bullet wounds would be coming from the front, (but) the bullet wounds that my son has are coming from the back," the mother, who WLWT is not identifying because her son is a minor, said. "He was unarmed. He was running, he didn't have nothing in his hand. There's nothing that a Taser couldn't stop him and what they shot him with was a 40-caliber gun."

According to Hamilton County Juvenile Court records, the 16-year-old is a delinquent with several past convictions including two assaults, attempted marijuana trafficking and obstructing official business.

“All of a sudden I heard a pop, pop, pop, pop,” said Catherine Zagotti who was one of several neighbors to call 911. “I had five children in the house at that point and my main issue was: are they safe?”

“The suspect's weapon was recovered at the scene,” said Heimpold.

Neighbors said it all started up the street on Crystal Hill where Lamont Trimble's sister was supposed to be having a sweet 16 party.

Neighbors say a group of men from North College Hill crashed the party and tried to steal a purse from Trimble's aunt. Soon after a fight broke out and gunfire erupted, said neighbors.

“For all that to happen for her first party, she’s scared for the second one,” said Trimble. “All boys ran down the street, girls ran up in the house, I follow the boys, and gunshots.”

“To see these half grown kids running around with weapons that they shouldn't even have the ability to get a hold of, I don't know it just makes me wonder what the world is coming to,” said Zagotti.

The Lexington Heights teenager is recovering at University of Cincinnati Medical Center and is expected to be OK.

The police officer involved in the shooting is on administrative leave in accordance with standard department policies and procedures.